Coralville residents were treated to community events and bus tours during the 34th annual Aisle of Lights celebration.

Residents and businesses around Coralville lined the streets with glowing luminaries while family events were held throughout the day.

Vicky Robrock, a city employee, was stationed at Coralville City Hall to help hand out bus tour tickets, and said the tours have been a big part of the Aisle of Lights celebration for years.

"We scout out some of the areas where there are more lights on the houses," she said. "This is a great opportunity for people who perhaps don't know the area very well or who don't have their own transportation to come out and see the lights and luminaries."

Tours began at 5:15 p.m. after the sun set, and ended at 8:15 p.m. While visitors waited at city hall for the bus to arrive, the University of Iowa Community Credit Union provided hot cocoa and cookies, a craft table where children could make their own ornaments, and a chance to take a "selfie with Santa," and the Community of Christ provided music and carol sing-alongs.

UICCU Coralville branch manager Sandra Thorington said she has enjoyed watching the event grow as the years pass.

"It's great to see the kids who used to come here years ago come back as adults with kids of their own," Thorington said. "We're honored the city lets us be part of the festivities every year."

Devon Flanagan, who works in the accounting department at UICCU, said Aisle of Lights is a true Coralville tradition. She was helping children and their parents make their own ornaments at the craft table Sunday.

"I've worked at this event for the last five years, and it's a wonderful time every year," Flanagan said. "For a lot of people, this is when they bring their kids to see Santa, or when they go out to see the lights. It's just a great time of year."

City Administrator Kelly Hayworth said Aisle of Lights began 34 years ago when its founder, Margaret Morgan, began making and placing luminaries on the sidewalks near her home north of 10th Street.

"That's the way she celebrated with her husband and neighbors, and it just started to grow," Hayworth said. "She and her husband would dress up as Santa and Mrs. Claus. It was, and still is, a great family experience. People come from all over to celebrate here."

Jim Albrecht, who now helps coordinate Aisle of Lights, said he met Morgan in 1999 and has been involved in the event since.

"I didn't really know who she was at the time. I saw her drive by one day around Christmastime and I ran out and stopped her. I asked if she was Margaret, she said yes, and I said 'I'd like to be your elf,' " Albrecht said. "I'm very inspired by her. She just turned 90, and I picked her up (Sunday) to drive her around to look at the lanterns. It was like a walk down memory lane for her."

A group of about 40 volunteers, including members of Boy Scout Troop 207 in Coralville, worked for about three hours on Sunday placing and lighting 4,600 luminaries along Fifth Street and 12th Avenue, Albrecht said. He said he was grateful for the help of the volunteers

"It's a community effort, and everybody joined in. It was a big project, and I really would like to thank all the volunteers," Albrecht said. "And, really, it's all about Margaret. It's something she's enjoyed and she's kept it up all these years, and I want it to continue."

"We've been going on the bus tours for the last eight or nine years," Gingerich Roetlin said. "We bring a bunch of hot chocolate in thermoses, turn on the Christmas music in the car and drive around to look at all the lights."

"This is a community-wide celebration of the season and an opportunity to do something as neighbors," Roetlin said.